The relationship between the Republican Party and African-Americans has been shaky for more than 50 years, with the GOP rarely attracting as little as 10 percent support in most presidential elections.
African-Americans initially were drawn to Republicans because of their designation as the “Party of Lincoln.” And many stayed loyal to the GOP even through events like President Truman’s desegregation of the military. But the 1964 presidential election signaled a big turn, thanks to GOP presidential nominee Barry Goldwater voting against the Civil Rights Act.
Harvard Associate Professor Leah Wright-Rigueur has written extensively about the topic, including in a book called "The Loneliness of the Black Republican: Pragmatic Politics and the Pursuit of Power."
